Sticks and Stones - A Poetic Turn on Words That Burn

Sticks and Stones –
A Poetic Turn on Words That Burn 

You built a circle ‘round my feet
With rocks that you had thrown,
Then piled sharp sticks of sly deceit
That reeked of false cologne.

The scene was set, and I was bound
To suffer at the stake,
Your power to prove to all around,
My confidence to shake.

I thought we’d found the perfect match;
Your heart was stony flint.
Despite our sparks, another catch
Ensnared you with a hint.

A single word can pierce a heart
And cause a soul to bleed.
More lethal than the archer’s dart,
In attitude and deed.

But sticks and stones can’t hurt me now;
I’ve stepped outside the stones.
No kindling will I allow,
Abrasive overtones.

So store your weapons of control,
Your arsenal of rage.
For I’ve discovered higher goal,
Without a pressure gage.

c2008 by Linda Ann Nickerson 

(Written upon request of Weekend Wordsmith’s “sticks and stones” prompt.)

Public domain artwork